Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-06
Latest Detail From the Scene of
the Disaster.
ARRIVAL OF The ILL-FATTRD TRAIN.
The Brutality of the Chicago Station Master,
Burton.
THRILLING TALES OF SURVIVORS.
A Statement That There We're Probably More
PsnShsd Than Supposed -POstlsth-
waite Possibly Alive.

| CHICAGO, January 5.-The conduct OF
some OF the local employees of the Baltimore
and Ohio road is made subject of COM
ment by all the morning papers None of
/ the officials of the road are stationed here,
and the station master and other local en-
ployes pursue line Of conduct which is
severely characterized by the papers, and
which, it is declared, could only have met
the serious disapproyal of responsible Off
cials. Anxious relatives crowded the sta
tiOn during the day, but despite their tear
ful inquiries, could obtain no information
as to the arrival of trains from the scene of
the disaster near Tifiiu. The wrecked train
arrived at the B. & D. depot at 1920 clock
this morning. Very few friends of the pas
sengers were waiting to meet, as they could
not learn of its coming. One of the first
men to be helped of was Harry c. Forres-
ter. His head was bandaged and his left
arm broken. No sooner had he alighted
from coach than an employe named
Burtner grabbed him. The railroad men
roughly hustled the injured passenger to-
ward the baggage room at the depot
Don't give your NAME" yelled Burt
ner, as several newspaper meD questioned
Forester. You newspaper men are too
Flip, he added. Give it to me il you
want to; it will only get ME better job. "
Forester was hurried into the baggage
room aud locked in there. He nearly
OF 1,N,
hour he was taken away. Rurtner is said
to be the station master and he certainly |
had his wish gratifed, as he is pictured |
to-day in as black colors as it is possible |
for man to be under the circumstance.
FORRESTER'S ACCOUNT OF THE DISASTER. |
A reporter who succeeded in interview
ing Forester secured from him the follow |
ing account of the disaster: Il can't tell |
you much about the way the thing hap !
pened. 1t was quick as flash. and how |
got through the millions of splinters and |
falling timbers don't know. When got |
up the cars were on fire, and | could hear
the people all crying out in agonized tones
for help. ! was somewhat dazed, but |
these cries brought me TO realization Of
the calamity. The sights were terrible.
There seemed to be wounded people every |
where, and all were crying for aid. | was |
covered with blood from the wounds on my |
head and could not do much TO assist The |
grOans Of those in the burning cars were
awful. | was near the express messenger, |
who was killed, and the baggageman,
Gates, who had all the flesh torn off one OF |
his legs There were only four of US out
l ,r aff hn not mi nf hA III nu
car"
Mr.. Forester has a very severe cOntu
sion on bis LETT shoulder made, he thinks,
by striking some timber when he and his
seat were forced through the roof of the
ear. The skin on the back OF his head is
also lOOSened and forced forward. In ad
| ditition b. has bruises all over his body.
! lie was very nervous and not able, he said,
to recall al the incidents that had oc-
CURED.
PRISONERS IN THE BURNING CAR.
Prot. Francis Kendall, of Crete, Neb.,
said: II was sitting in the first class
FcOach which was coupled just in the rear
OF the smoking ear and ahead of the two
Sleepers. Our first intimatiOn of danger
was the sharp application of the brakes and
the reversing OF the engine with such sud
denneSs that we were thrown forward in
our seats. Then came q deatening crash
/ in front OF Us Snl our car was ska
ken up rs If by au earthquake. All
the glass in the windows was broken, We
were thrown all over the car, and the
women screamed. We all got out as quick
| ly az possible. The baggage and smoking
| ,,tin -
| had already caught rTe. We tried to aid
those at work on the burning cars, but the
heat was 80 intense that We were driven
back. There were several persons to be
seen in the flames, but they were beyond
human help. Some of them were alive and
their cries could he heard. We then ran
forward to the engine. Here we found the
! 6rsrlqn iammed in between the boiler
head and Eater tank With axes, saws
and timbers we worked for nearly an hour
| TO release him, but withoat Success. He
was caught by the lower limbs, end
/ he finally died before our eyes, having
uttered hardly word, though conscious
\ till the last Fred. BetzOld, Of RuSeyille,
| Neb., was another who escaped. His wife
was in my coach. lie found himself caught
by both legs, and with great difficulty
succeeded in wrenching himself frse just
before the flames reached him. He told
me that there was q man on each side OF
him. and that one OF them caught him by
/ the tsOt and held him for some time before
he could tres himself from his desperate
clasp. Each wis jammed in past help.
He then jumped ten feet 10 the ground.
Beyond severe bruises he was not lGrt.
/ How the fourth man got out he did not
know. nor did anybody else. We found
him lying on the snow with his skull laid
bare. / preSaubs he was shot bodily out of
the wreck. We carried him to one of the
sleepers. spd the surgeons said ~ could
hardly live"
| CONFLICTING SHIPMENTS,
The statements made concerning the
cause of the disaster by the crew OF the
freight train were very conflicting. The
general excuse given was that they thought
there was time to reach Republic before
the express arrived. They knew they
were running on the time of the express;
but Tiffin and Republic are but fye miles
apart. They did not agree as TO whether
the freight was standing still or moving.
A brakeman said the freight WAS moving
slowly, while Others of the crew said it
was stsading still, having become stalled.
There weSe pEabs bly, sixty people on the
train, and about tsicsy o. them came on 10
Chicago on the train with me- IL Eas the
most siekeninO and horrible sight that q 1